Beijing asks the last Indian journalist in China to leave. But why?

New Delhi, June 12: Beijing authorities have asked a PTI reporter, the last Indian journalist in the country, to leave China by the end of the month, according to news agency Bloomberg reported on Monday.

 

The visa renewal rejection marks the departure of all four Indian reporters from China that took place in last two months. One Hindustan Times reporter left China over the weekend, while two Indian journalists from public broadcaster Prasar Bharati and The Hindu were denied visa renewals in April, as per the Bloomberg report.

 

 

 

China called this an "appropriate action” against India and its treatment towards Chinese reporters.

 

 

However, India hoped that Beijing would allow its journalists to continue to work in China.

 

Notably, this issue was raised during a media briefing last week in front of Foreign Ministry spokesperson Arindam Bagchi. He said that India hoped China would allow Indian journalists to continue to work in that country, saying all foreign journalists, including those from China, are allowed to operate freely in the country.

 

"All foreign journalists, including Chinese journalists have been pursuing journalistic activities in India without any limitations or difficulties in reporting or doing media coverage".

 

 

It was reported that Indian journalists operating in China were barred from hiring local correspondents or even travelling locally. Beijing imposed measures limiting employment to three individuals at a time who must come from a pool provided by the Chinese authorities. Even Bagchi said, "Meanwhile, Indian journalists in China have been operating with certain difficulties, such as not being permitted to hire locals as correspondents or journalists."

 

"We hope that Chinese authorities facilitate the continued presence of Indian journalists working and reporting from China," he had added.

 

 

Relations between two Asian economic powerhouses, Beijing and New Delhi, have been souring since a violent clash in Galwan Valley along Line of Actual Control in eastern Ladakh. While China has tried to keep that brawl away from the overall relationship and focus on trade and economic ties, India has made it clear that relations cannot go back to normal until the border issue is resolved.

 

As India hosts G20 and the Chinese-founded Shanghai Cooperation Dialogue meetings this year, the visa rejections appear to be a result of the same. In September, however, Xi is expected to attend the G-20 leaders summit as China is trying to establish its diplomatic and political presence globally.

 

China and the US have also been in a years-long dispute over journalist visas. After the Trump administration designated a handful of Chinese media companies as “foreign missions” and put caps on the number of Chinese journalists in the country, Beijing responded by revoking press credentials for reporters at US media companies.

 

In 2020, two Australian journalists based in China fled the country as diplomatic tensions worsened between the two nations. The two men were initially banned from leaving and spent five days under consular protection until Australian diplomats could negotiate their departure. That year, Beijing accused Canberra of raiding the homes of Chinese state-media staff and seizing their property.